Ask me anything/FAQ.

October 17, 2016


Hello! I'd been thinking of writing a Q&A post for a while, a kind of 'ask me anything'. This all started from a tweet on Twitter, Phoebe and I both had the same thoughts - we've been wanting to do something like this for a while as we get asked a lot of questions on Instagram. However we feared that if touting for questions for a blog post we wouldn't actually get asked anything and would hear the tumbleweed rolling on by. So we decided to do it together and started the hashtag #askphoebeandrebecca. It had such a great response and I've loved seeing some of the things that you've asked us, even some of the cheeky stuff. I've answered the personal questions below and then will pass you over to SYGM with Phoebe for all the wedding/honeymoon talk I've answered there tomorrow afternoon. Ready for some reading?? I've split it into sections and truth be told I'm a tiny bit nervous about pressing publish!

Personal

Q. How did you meet your husband?
A. Haha.. wellll it's actually a long story and not very conventional. We met when I was fairly young and through school. Ben is ten years older than me. At the time it caused a bit of a drama, on paper obviously it doesn't look that good. But I was always way ahead of my years and once you know it's right, you just know. So we waited a couple of years and then got together properly. We haven't looked back since, it has been the best thing that has ever happened to us both. Funny how fate and all that works.

Q. Is the age gap between you ever an issue?
A. Initially as I said above, it was. But as you get older age gaps aren't an issue at all. I guess the only way it's affected anything is the difference in our friends. My friends aren't even thinking about getting married whereas Ben's are all married and have babies already, but we still have fun with both sets! It can be a very good thing too, we balance each other out, I keep him young and I love how he has so much worldly experience.

Q. I'd love to know more about Ben's property development after your pics of those beams the other day. Is he self employed? Does he do the work himself {and is that how he does such magic around your house with fireplaces and tables}. and do you do the interior for them to sell or rent?
A. Ben started with property way back when he first went to university. He actually picked his uni {Lancaster} based on house prices, savvy guy. Back then you could buy a house for £36,000, and even teenagers without jobs could get 90% mortgages. After buying the first house with a student loan and renting the spare rooms, it spiralled and by the end of his degree he owned 6 to rent out! He's kept them and they're all rented out with an agent to manage them. He then went into accountancy for a few years {he did a maths degree at uni} before starting property development again when we bought a flat in London. These days he buys properties to develop and sell on, he's clever with thinking outside the box on layouts and rearranging floor plans but also has pretty much self-taught himself everything from plumbing to laying floors to building etc you name it. He's self-employed but likes to be on site to manage renovations and his team as much as he can. I can't believe just how much he loves to work and I'm so proud of him. We now sell them once finished rather than renting them out and then move onto the next project. - although I need to steal some time from him to start on our extension soon!

Q. I think I read on your blog you struggled with an eating disorder many years ago but have since recovered {you look amazing} can I ask how you overcame it, did you speak with your family/see a doctor/counsellor? How have you stayed on the band wagon so to speak?
A. I've realised that you only know you have an eating disorder/problem once you've overcome it. At the time I had no idea I even had a problem which was pretty scary as it lasted for a couple of years and was incredibly unhealthy to be that underweight. Ben actually helped me a lot with it, I'm lucky he has a very healthy attitude to eating and food. I still can't eat certain things like chips, potatoes, very creamy/buttery things or crisps weirdly but now I focus on being healthy and feeling strong over skinny. Exercise has actually helped me a lot and it makes me eat well, you can't run well on empty! I'm aware of how easily people can slip back into old, dangerous patterns so I try to steer clear of diet talk etc.


Q. Does your income come entirely from blogging? You obviously have a lovely home and I can't help but wonder how you fund your lifestyle. Sorry this is a cheeky one but you said ask anything.
A. No it doesn't, I wouldn't be able to blog and work for SYGM for a living exclusively if it wasn't for the property development. I also help out with that for the interiors etc on the side. It's become a family business.

Q. What would your desert island discs be?
A. Ooh good question. How many am I allowed?? Definitely a Mumford & Sons song, probably Lover of the Light. Also Ed Sheeran The A Team and a Coldplay song would be in there too. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiowe will always remind me of my crazy family and our travels and childhood growing up. Likewise for The Vaccine's Wetsuit for travels with Ben.
The Goo Goo Dolls song 'Iris' and Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' mean a lot to me but I don't like to listen to them much. And randomly I love The Ting Ting's 'That's not my name'.

Q. You have such an amazing home and the most incredible lifestyle, endless holidays, luxury car etc. It all looks very luxe. You and Ben are so young, how did you end up with such an amazing lifestyle? 
A. Ben isn't that young {ha don't tell him I said that} and a lot has been answered above with hard work and good business/investment decisions over the years. We don't actually spend that much and I'm very lucky with my job as honeymoon writer for So You're Getting Married that I get sent on a lot of trips just having to pay for flights. As for other holidays we always go outside of school times and there are only two of us to pay for. Holidays don't need to cost much to be amazing. We're pretty savvy and don't ever spend for the sake of it. We're just as happy when we're in old scruffs and wellies at the allotment. But I do feel very grateful for the position that we're in.

Q. What one thing {item not person} can you not do without?
A. Well Phoebe thinks this answer will be my phone. Which is probably true. But only for the camera. Believe it or not I could actually do without wifi/Instagram and all that jazz but I could never live without a camera to capture memories.

Q. What blogs do you read? 
A. So You're Getting Married obviously. Rock My Style, A Cup of Jo, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Hither and Thither, The Spike.

Q. Any good running playlists/recommendations?
A. Here is my spotify running list. It's a bit random! I love both upbeat pop stuff as well as some inspirational Mumford or Coldplay on there which makes you feel so good when the sun rises. I only recently started using spotify for running so it's a bit short. I had an iPod shuffle I used for years with about 300 songs on it but it's too much of an effort to update it whereas Spotify is so instant.

Q. I think you posted once that you don't drink alcohol or caffeine. Is that true and why?
A. It's true, I've never been into coffee/tea and although I love the smell of coffee, I just don't want to start drinking it. I'd probably get addicted and then get headaches! I like fresh mint tea though. Alcohol wise again I've just never liked the taste and don't think it's very good health wise. I value getting up without a fuzzy head and going for a run. I'm v boring!

Q. I know you were quite young when you and Ben got married, will you be thinking about children soon or wait until you are a bit older? 
A. I was waiting for this question to come up as it's all I ever get asked my friends and family since we got married. Definitely no bubbas until the kitchen and house is finished but even then I think it will still be a couple more years until we start thinking about that. We both love our jobs, we love to travel and we love time together. Obviously we do think about having a family but I'm scared about how much it would change. We want to make sure we're really ready first.

Q. Your house is fabulous and you enjoy some fantastic holidays, cheeky one but is this funded entirely via blogging?
A. As above. No it's not. I never started this blog to make money, far from it. And believe me it doesn't make much money at all. I turn down so many offers of sponsorship/working with brands for this blog, it's just not what I want from it. Sure if an opportunity arises where it's a brand I already love/use/trust then it's a great fit and great to get recognition for the hours that I put into Roses & Rolltops but I myself hate it when blogs are too commercial. This is more of a diary for me most of the time. I do get paid for my role at So You're Getting Married though.

Q. Fashion question. Where do you buy your jeans from? Where do you mainly shop for clothes? What have you bought this season?
A. M&S Jeggings for jeans! Although they are always out of stock. I detest jeans shopping. Clothes wise I love H&M, Zara, Primark, Fat Face, New Look and Boden {sometimes Boden kids!}. I have both a long body and long legs so I hate anything that's too short. This season it's been mainly jumpers so far but I did buy a gorgeous lace burgundy skirt the other day that I'm in love with.

Q. What is your idea of a perfect day and how would you spend it?
A. Ooh another good question. I can't decide if I'd rather be on holiday or at home. If we were at home it would be a sunny weekend, we'd have a lay in and then go for croissants at our fav coffee shop before a day out probably in Hampstead or Richmond by the river. A bit of city and a bit of the countryside. We'd have Mexican or pizzas for lunch then frozen yogurt, go for a walk and a wander before coming home to chill out in the garden or house. We'd go to the allotment for fresh pickings, cook dinner, eat apple crumble and watch Homeland with lots of candles. If we were travelling we'd be exploring somewhere exciting, gelato and camera in hand before watching the sunset!

Q. Your nails always look so beautifully manicured. Which nail polish do you recommend? 
A. I feel naked without colour on my nails. I alternate between going for CND shellac which lasts for over two weeks without chipping. But I save it for holidays or special occasions as it adds up and isn't great for your nails 24/7. It's also a bit of a faff to remove! If I'm doing them myself then I love the newly formulated Chanel polishes, they have such pretty colours but they need a strong gel topcoat to make them last a bit longer.

Q. What is your dog's name and is he yours or your parents?
A. He's called Riley but you'll probably find us calling him the Awooga pup, Noogs Boogs or Roo most of the time. He's a family dog, I lived at home when we first got him as a tiny puppy. I was then heartbroken when I moved out to go and live in London for a while. Luckily where we live now is just a five minute walk from my parents so I get to see him everyday for walks and he comes for sleepovers sometimes! We're all completely besotted with him.

Blog/work

Q. If you weren't blogging what would you be doing? 
A. Ooh another good question. I always wanted to be a corporate lawyer believe it or not. But then realised I hated the commute and crazy hours. I then wanted to be a geography teacher. And then a wedding planner or a pilates teacher. So probably one of those three!

Q. What's the best and worst parts of blogging for a living?
A. The best is how it combines my love of so many things. Photography, travel, interiors, weddings, creativity, and days with my husband. It's so great to have my own little corner of the internet and so many lovely people to engage and interact with on it all. It never ever feels like work and has opened up so many doors. I also love working from home whilst having the opportunity to travel and attend some fun events in London. It's the best of both worlds.

The worst would probably be the crossover between work and my personal life. And the fact that people don't think of it as a proper job or appreciate the hard work behind the scenes that goes on with blogging. I don't love spending lots of the time on a laptop but there's no other way to do it. You also have to deal with the inevitable trolling and nasty comments. My husband would probably say the worst thing would be always waiting for me to take just one more photo...

Q. What destinations are on your travel bucket list?
A. Australia! I went with my parents when I was about 15 so I'd love to go back with Ben. It's just finding the time as we'd want to spend a few weeks there to make the flight worthwhile. Parts of Mexico look amazing. Also New England in the fall and tropical Bora Bora but it's so far away!

Q. How to have a successful blog. It would appear that blogging allows you to have a flexi lifestyle which I would like to have one day as currently 9-5 working mum.
A. As I've discussed above, the property development means I can blog and have the flexible lifestyle. Blogging can do that for some people without any extra income but you'd have to be really really big. I also think that you can't go into it thinking you can make money from it as that's not what people want to read. Whilst I'm all for encouraging people to go for their dreams and there is room on the internet for everybody, there are a lot of bloggers already so you'd need to make yourself stand out. And it's not as easy as everybody thinks it is!

Q. How did blogging etc go from a hobby to a job?
A. See below!

Q. How do you manage all your photos? Do you use flickr etc? Also do you use Spotify for music?
A. Photos are the bane of my life. I just take far far too many and it's a nightmare trying to manage them. I use hard drives to back them up and then create a back up of the back up. I want to try and manage them on some kind of cloud system online but it would just take too long to upload them all! I do use Spotify but I only ever really when running, working or when having people over.

Q. What other blogs would you recommend? Just recently started reading yours (love it) and would like more.
A. I think I answered this above.

Q. How do you take your pictures, particularly those with you and your husband i.e. do you ask other people, use tri pods etc?
A. We ask other people or set the camera up on a self timer. I have an iPhone 7 which I use for nearly 90% of my photos but then use this camera for travel/special shoots. Having a good camera on my phone makes me lazy to use my actual camera!

Q. How did you get your job as a blogger, did it start off as a hobby?
A. See below, similar question.

Q. How do you store your photos? I am guessing you have quite a lot! iCloud? How do you organise them?
A. God I have far too many photos. iCloud only lets you store up to 5gb for free so I have a google photos account but need to spend time actually uploading my thousands upon thousands. I just use folders so I'll transfer them in holiday albums or just each month from my iPhone. I have hundreds of folders called 'iphone July 16' etc. So they're on hard drives.

Q. What is the story behind your career where did you begin? Did you have a job before blogging?
A. Strange story I guess. I always wanted to be a corporate lawyer so I went to the LSE for a Law Degree. Halfway through it, I realised how it just wasn't for me. I was also planning my wedding at the time and realised what an amazing world the wedding industry was - so fun and a million miles away from all the London law stuff. I hated the commute, I didn't want to work in an office and give up my evenings and weekends to some huge corporation.

In the meantime we were also renovating our house and I've always loved photos so started my Instagram account. I got married in July 2014, graduated two weeks later and had no idea what I wanted to do but knew it would be far away from law. I thought about setting up a wedding planning business. I then started working for Ben accounting but it wasn't what I wanted to do. In this time Ben also encouraged me to start up a blog. I'd been thinking about it for years to document our house/travels/wedding planning but my degree was pretty full on so I never found the time. My Instagram account was growing and people were requesting DIY posts for house projects so Roses and Rolltops was born in August 2014.

That October Phoebe put out a job advert for a London based role to join So You're Getting Married. It sounded like a dream come true, I'd get to stay in the wedding world after all. I knew Phoebe through social media from planning my own wedding and she knew I loved social media and had started blogging so she hired me! I was crazy happy. And the first week that I worked there, I got an invite from Sandals to go and stay in Jamaica. Which then kick started me into creating a honeymoon section on SYGM. Roses and Rolltops has grown alongside that to document my personal life and projects. I love having both, my professional role at So You're Getting Married where I work with big brands and attend fun events as well as this blog for all of my own stuff.

Q. What did you do before blogging as a career? Did you have a social media background?
A. I worked at a tennis club for years and years. And then did a law degree. So no definitely no social media background but I just self-taught myself it I guess as an addict!

SYGM blog

Q. How did you land your job? It looks the best job ever.
A. I literally have no idea what made Phoebe choose me but I'm so so grateful that she did! I guess it helped that I'd just planned my own wedding and was a bit crazy for photography, Instagram/Pinterest and blogs in general. It really is such an amazing role and hardly ever feels like work which is a real dream.

Q. Do you get paid to do hotel reviews or are they just fun free trips?
A. The payment is the destination and staying in gorgeous places. It helps that Ben and I LOVE and prioritise travel. We pay for our flights most of the time. We charge for sponsored posts.

Q. Best city break destination?
A. New York hands down. But for somewhere closer to home, Venice.

Q. How did you get your job as a blogger, did it start off as a hobby?
A. I started this blog as a hobby but my job with So You're Getting Married was when Phoebe put out an advert to join the wedding blog as a London based representative.

Q. I was wondering where you would recommend for a honeymoon as you have been to lots of lovely places. I'm getting married in August 2018.
A. Mauritius or The Maldives would be amazing and good weather wise at that time of year. The Caribbean is prone to hurricanes at that time. But that's only if you want something beachy. If you'd prefer more cultural then look at Italy or South East Asia? Feel free to let us know more and we could write a whole post for you.

Q. Do you get to go on your wonderful holidays for free in return for blogging about them?
A. See above.

Q. How was SYGM conceived?
A. You'll have to ask Phoebe!

Interiors

Q. Love your home style have you thought about offering interior design consultancy?
A. I'm flattered you'd ask but in reality I don't have time right now I'm afraid.

Q. Where do you get your home decor inspiration and ideas from?
A. Pinterest pinterest pinterest. There's some really great stuff on there but it can also be a bit overwhelming and give you too many ideas/looks for each room. It's hard to source things on there, it can be v American. I love magazines for up to date shopping tips and hotels are also great places for inspiring cool interiors.

Q. How do you manage to find all the pretty things? Is it a case of shopping at certain places? Or is it just you have an eye for beauty?
A. I love unique items with a story so antiques markets and shops are my favourites for shopping. I have a bit of a weakness for French vintage bits! I'm very fussy and know exactly what I do/don't like instantly. I guess everyone has their own style so I'm flattered that you think mine is pretty! I just go with what I love and hope that it all works together.

Q. Your house looks amazing. I would love to know what colour your sofas are from Laura Ashley.
A. You can find them here and they're in Dalton Dove Grey.

Q. Are your gorgeous bay windows in your front room original single glazed? If so is it chilly/prone to condensation?
A. They are single glazed and original. We haven't been here for a winter yet but so far they haven't had any condensation. I think it helps that it's a very sunny south facing spot.

Q. Can I have your house please?
A. Haha this got asked three times! I'm afraid I love it too much to give it away. Just need to get it finished now!

Q. Do you tend to browse shops or look online if you want something specific?
A. Online for high street stuff, I hate going out to shop. It takes so long and it's always so busy everywhere. But if it's something vintage I want then I'll go to a market/emporium or look on eBay.

Q. Do Diptyque candles smoke a lot when lit?
A. No I don't find that they do. Make sure you trim the wicks, always let a candle burn for a minimum of 2 hours the first time you light it and keep them burning level.

Q. How do you find your amazing stuff? Are you sent most of it or are you one of those people who just has an eye for it?
A. I don't feel like I've got an eye for it especially but a lot of people say that I do. I feel like I'm more just very fussy on what I do and don't like! I adore vintage markets and finding old, unique items rather than mass produced flat pack stuff. I'm lucky to be sent the odd thing but I buy most things.

Q. Do you find your decorating inspiration from magazine or other blogs?
A. I don't actually follow any dedicated interior blogs but I love Rock my Style and could/do spend hours on Pinterest. I also love Ideal Home Magazine as well as Country Living and Country Homes & Interiors. And hotels are great for inspo.

Q. What are your three favourite items in your house?
A. Our French shutters that stand in the lounge, our pink bathroom sink unit and cute radiators under the bay windows.

Q. Your house is gorgeous and gives me inspiration. How long did it take you to do your bedroom and living room? As I noticed it was completely different before so you've done the whole thing to your taste and how long of a process was that?
A. I think it was about 6 weeks? But we were doing everything at the same time, hallway, bathroom etc so it wasn't just room by room plus we had some breaks for holidays within that. If we'd have just done each room on it's own I think it would have been about 2 weeks for each one?? It helped that we weren't living here at the time but I think if we had been living here we would have done it a lot quicker because we would have just wanted it done asap!

Q. First time buyer, decorating question. What colour would you go for when painting dado rails and skirtings in a neutral living room? Currently in 60s dark reddish brown wood.
A. White.

Q. Where do you find white pumpkins? I love them but can't find them anywhere!
A. We grew them! Blog post on our allotment and growing them here.

Q. Where did you get your sofa cushions?
A. The hare cushions are from Habitat, the dark grey cushions are H&M and the pink ones were from TK Maxx. More on my lounge post.

Q. Where is the best place to buy prints? I love the travel ones you had in the hall of your last home.
A. We actually made those! DIY post here. But I'd say Not on The High Street or Etsy.

Routines

Q. How do you seem to look amazing, have a beautiful home but juggle everything, hobbies, travels, allotment work etc. You must have an amazing routine?
A. Ben and I get bored if we're sitting still for too long so we always love to be busy with a number of projects on the go! I'm lucky that I work from home so have a bit of flexibility in the week to do the housework/catch up on admin/food shop etc. Travelling more often than not is for work so it kind of kills two birds with one stone in that sense. For our allotment we pop down when we can, in the evening for half an hour or for a morning at a weekend. Once set up it doesn't take too much time. We also get up early and I don't know how we seem to pack lots into weekends but just do? I think it might all change when we have children.

Q. What are your tried and tested easy no fuss weekly meals? Want to get some new ideas for easy mid week meals.
A. I'm actually writing a whole post about our midweek dinners. Will be online this week!

Q. Would love to know your fave healthy meals and do you have a daily routine? Your house always looks pristine and you always manage to have time to cook lovely looking things and a beautiful garden, I'm wondering how you fit it all in. Are you just on the go the whole time?
A. I'm writing a blog post this week on favourite dinners. And yes pretty much, see above and also below for my typical routine.

Q. Your home always look so gorgeous, tidy and clean. Do you have a cleaner? And if not any tips on keeping on top of all the housework with a busy job/life. 
A. No I don't have a cleaner, I'm just a little OCD! And of course I only photograph the tidy bits haha. I joke to Ben that I'd love a cleaner but in reality it would make me more stressed as I couldn't bear somebody moving my picture frames and not putting them back exactly as they were! I guess I shouldn't admit to that. It helps that I can't relax if the house is a mess so I don't really find it a chore. It also helps that I work from home so I can spare a couple of hours in the week.

Q. I'm very keen to know if you have a cleaner or if not a cleaning rota/routine? Do you do a mammoth weekly house clean or room by room as the week goes on?
A. I spend about half a day every week - tends to be either a Monday or a Friday before or after the weekend - doing a big clean {tidying then dusting, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, hoovering everywhere and then steam mopping} and because it's just Ben and I for the rest of the week it mainly stays nice. I think when we have children it might be a different story. I try and keep as tidy as I can and will spend about 10 mins each morning and evening to put clothes away/load the dishwasher/make the bed etc. I try and make sure everything has a place so it's easy to keep tidy. I'm one of those tidy on the surface kind of people so you'd probably be shocked if you looked inside my wardrobes or cupboards.

Q. What are your top 5 housework jobs for keeping on top of things?
A. I read somewhere that your house should never be more than '10 minutes worth of mess'. It means if someone wants to pop round, you can really quickly get it looking nice. So I try and stick to this rule but it doesn't always work! Hoovering makes a huge difference as does just loading/unloading the dishwasher to keep the kitchen tidy. I'd also say putting shoes and washing away as soon as you're home/it's ready.

Q. What is your fitness regime and do you manage to keep it up when you're away so much?
A. I run three times a week {roughly 4-6 miles on each one} and then do one HIIT or Spin class a week, an hour's pilates mat class and an hour's reformer pilates class. Pilates is amazing for your core but crucially for me it helps my lordosis in my back and helps to prevent injuries.
Sometimes I'll do a Barre class or a semi personal training session if I feel like I need something extra. I also try and walk as much as I can.
When I'm away it depends how long we go for. Anything less than a week and I generally don't go to the gym/run when travelling, it's nice to have a complete break sometimes to let my muscles really recover. We try and keep active with cycling/walking lots on holiday. If I go for more than a week then I will try and run or go to a hotel gym a few times, I feel like my abs start to disappear if I'm eating badly too! I try not to worry too much as when I'm home I get straight back into exercising again and healthy eating so it doesn't make a lot of difference. Sometimes you just need a good break from it all, that's what holidays are for right?

Q. What is your typical daily routine? How do you find the time to fit in cooking, cleaning, laundry, exercise, blogging etc.
A. It's hard to write a daily routine as every day, and week is so different with my job and sometimes I could be half way across the world on work. But typically, on a weekday:

  • I'd wake up, a couple of times a week at 5.30 but mostly 6.30/7am and either go to an exercise class or go for a run.
  • Around 8am I'd get home and showered, and then have breakfast and start on my emails.
  • From 8.30-9.30 I'd either be walking the dog or still tackling the emails. They take a lot of my time.
  • I'm freelance so it really depends if there are any deadlines or events or meetings to go to. If it's quiet though I'd then either do a quick bit of cleaning/go food shopping/put some washing on or go to pilates {for my bad back} before sitting down at my laptop to start work properly.
  • Around lunchtime I'll pop down to see Ben and his team on site for a quick break. They've had a local project recently which has been nice. Or I'll meet a friend for a quick coffee or go for lunch with some pilates friends after class. Being freelance and working from home is amazing but it can get a tiny bit lonely if you're busy at different times to everyone else. Then I'll come home and have a quick tidy around/sort some washing out etc before getting back on my laptop.
  • I'll have an afternoon either blogging or sorting emails/talking to clients or PRs/arranging press trips/shooting things for blog posts/editing pics or videos before Ben gets home around 4.30 and we normally go for a walk to catch up. I always want some fresh air after being in sat on a laptop. We might go to the allotment to pick stuff for dinner.
  • Cook dinner around 5.30, we like to eat early. I try not to do any work in the evenings but it depends how productive/busy that day has been. If I've been out in London I might need to get on my laptop. In the summer it stays light for so long that we might feel like staying out/having a BBQ but in the winter we hunker down and watch some favourite tv.
  • At weekends we'll get up a bit later and either go to the allotment or head out somewhere nice for a bit before an afternoon at home or in the garden, seeing friends or family in an evening. I try to keep chores to a minimum at weekends so we can have a proper switch off but it really depends on how busy the past week has been.

Q. Do you have any good playlists for hosting dinner parties/general dinner party tips?
A. We haven't hosted a dinner party in about a while with moving house/renovating but we need to start again soon. I think it's because we haven't got a nice kitchen or dining room yet. So I need to make a new playlist. But tips wise I'd say go for food you're confident cooking and that you can prepare in advance. Light lots of candles and never ask 'is the food ok' or start shouting 'it tastes awful!' because people will just be glad that you've cooked and got everyone together.

Q. Where do you get your fitness and recipe inspiration from?
A. I've always been motivated to keep fit. I think it stemmed from my eating disorder but I actually do really enjoy it too. It keeps me sane and I feel twitchy if I haven't been able to burn off the excess energy. So I don't feel I need too much inspiration there. I'm lucky though that there are two amazing fitness studios I go to nearby so I guess a lot of it could come from there too. Recipe wise I like Deliciously Ella but I'm not a vegan so I'll always add some meat or cheese into the recipes, also our allotment gives us a lot of produce that we have to think of new ideas to cook it with. I like cookbooks but also newspapers and BBC good food.

Q. Your blog is such a joy to read and you are so put together. I would love to know how do you stay so organised? Do you use a paper planner or your phone?
A. Thank you, amongst all of these questions there have been some amazing compliments! I use my phone calendar and the notes app! I put every appointment into the calendar and then write daily lists. I'm very much a list kind of girl.

Q. Any health and fitness tips? 
A. Water water water. I drink about 3 litres of water a day, I think it's best thing you can do for your body. Also lots of sleep and as much whole real food as you can. Find exercise that you love so it doesn't feel like a chore but even walking for half an hour a day will do you the world of good.


Q. What time do you go to bed? You fit so much into your day!
A. About 10pm. I struggle to stay awake past 10.30 as I'm normally awake pretty early.

I hope I haven't bored you all! Pop over to SYGM for Phoebe's answers and some honeymoon answers from me tomorrow afternoon.

P.S. Thank you so much for all of your messages and compliments on both Instagram and this blog, I read them all and appreciate every single one. But I also just wanted to say to a very small minority that I'm bored of the negative comments. You don't have to follow me so if I offend you in my life choices then just unfollow. I don't come onto your Instagram or blog criticising you so please don't do the same to me. I really love it when Instagram is a strong community where we all support each other so it's a shame where there are a few bad apples!

R <3 xx

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4 comments

  1. Thabks for sharing! I love your Instagram and blog. You seem to really enjoy life without a lot of fuss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really enjoyed reading this, but then I am pretty nosey! I am really impressed that you answered all questions, even the personal ones. You always seem like such a mature and level headed person and that comes across even more from this post, I wish I had myself together even half as much when I was your age, although I love where I am now (I'm aware I sound ancient, I'm only 29). Sorry now I'm just rambling, I wanted to say thanks for posting, I enjoy all your blog posts and insta and can't believe you get trolled, please keep doing what you're doing!
    Tracey x
    girlabouthome.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really enjoyed reading this, but then I am pretty nosey! I am really impressed that you answered all questions, even the personal ones. You always seem like such a mature and level headed person and that comes across even more from this post, I wish I had myself together even half as much when I was your age, although I love where I am now (I'm aware I sound ancient, I'm only 29). Sorry now I'm just rambling, I wanted to say thanks for posting, I enjoy all your blog posts and insta and can't believe you get trolled, please keep doing what you're doing!
    Tracey x
    girlabouthome.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved this post! So lovely to learn more about you, trolls are horrible, I get them from time to time, even had people setting up a fake/ private account just to be mean, and other people blocking me just to find out they've reposted my photos as their own. Thankfully it's mostly a lovely community though and these people are in the minority!
    Farah x
    www.vatkinary.com

    ReplyDelete

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